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Chrissy hummed quietly to herself as the radio’s tinny version of ABBA filled her car. carefully driving home under the yellow Hawkins street lamps. Cheer practice had taken too long and the fall evenings were getting far too short.
She was exhausted .
Tiffany really needed to reign in her attitude or she might need to bump her from the next game. Bethany was doing great with her kicks, she could tell she’d been practicing like she’d asked her. The blonde adjusted her hands on the steering wheel, palms sore from assisting Rachel in her lift.
She sighed, being head cheerleader was harder than it seemed, not that she should have been surprised. Cheerleaders were girls with strong personalities and even stronger opinions. Like herding cats the previous head cheerleader had warned her.
She had not been wrong.
The blonde was still mentally working through a lineup plan for the next game when she noticed something out of place in her neighborhood.
Eddie Munson’s beat up van parked at the corner of her street where the suburbs shifted into a park. This was not something she’d ever seen or expected to see in her neighborhood.
Not unless some kid was throwing a party while his parents were out of town.
But that was definitely Eddie “The Freak” Munson traipsing through Mrs. Hughes hydrangea bushes. And Mrs. Hughes was absolutely in town, as was her son Brian, one of Jason’s friends on the basketball team.
As much as this was entirely not her business, and she had no qualms if he had a bone to pick with Brian Hughes, Mrs. Hughes was a sweet woman and did not deserve her hydrangeas traipsed on. As such, the blonde carefully pulled the car over to the side of the road to park near their yard, catching the wary eye of the metalhead in her headlights.
If any of her friends would have been in the car with her she’d probably have gotten scolded or scared away from stopping to talk to “The Freak”. Whining that he would probably drag her off in the night and sacrifice her to the Devil.
She parked and leisurely exited her car.
Eddie Munson spoke loudly and without remorse, but as far as she was concerned he’d never shown an ounce of violence.
She’d seen the lockers punched in after Hawkins High lost a basketball game. She’d seen the bruises around Heather's wrists during practice after a date with her boyfriend on the soccer team.
And she’d seen Eddie step between freshman outcasts and their junior bullies without batting an eye.
“Chrissy Cunningham,” Came a drawled voice, Eddie tilting his head quaintly and hiding something behind his back, “What brings you here on this dark, foreboding night,” he smirked, his voice dropping an octave.
“What are you doing Eddie? Mrs. Hughes works very hard to keep those hydrangeas blooming in the fall.” She waved a hand towards the shrubs currently under the brunettes boots.
The metalhead rose his eyebrows and pulled a foot off of the greenery, “Just a stroll,” He countered, pivoting slowly to step back into the street, “You ever take a thoughtful, midnight galavant?”
The blonde narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips.
“Fine!” Eddie threw his head back and sighed loudly, bringing his right arm around from his back to reveal a carton of eggs. “Happy?”
Chrissy frowned, tilting her head with confusion as she looked between the eggs and Eddie’s resigned features.
“No?” His features creased, “Not catching on?” A smirk caught in the corner of his face, a dimple forming.
The blonde shook her head.
“Hotshot Brian Hughes here,” Eddie twisted a hand towards the home like he were flicking away a bug, “Had the gall to trip one of my freshmen at lunch today,” He sneered at the house as if he were speaking to the boy directly, then turned to lean into Chrissy, “Face splat, food everywhere, right in the middle of the cafeteria!”
“Oh,” Chrissy replied softly, bringing a hand to her mouth, “I did hear about that…”
She had heard. From the hallway outside the cafeteria, kids laughing, someone yelling. Bethany had come jogging out of the cafeteria snickering, saying some weird brat had fallen face first into his mashed potatoes. She hadn’t realized…
“Thinks he’s so funny,” Eddie mocked, opening the carton and roughly plucking an egg from it. “Thinks it’s so clever to embarrass the kids who are different.” He sucked in a harsh breath and reeled back.
THWACK
“Oh!” Chrissy startled as the egg splattered into the side of the house, shoulders jumping.
“Make a mess out of my sheep ,” He muttered with a sneer, grabbing another egg.
THWACK
The brunette smirked, head tilting to eye her once more, “Just let me get a few more in before you call the cops?”
The cheerleader blinked, one hand still at her lips.
He was waiting, eyebrows raised, dark brown eyes honest. He truly meant that, truly believed she would rush to turn him in. And yet he was patiently waiting for a peaceful compromise instead of trying to overpower or threaten her.
She thought of the bruises on Heather’s wrists again.
Bethany’s laughter as she jogged from the cafeteria.
Chrissy threw back her shoulders and straightened up with all the confidence and air of leadership she could muster, thrusting out her hand making grabbing fingers toward the carton. “Hand it over, Eddie.”
Eddie sighed, slumping and handing over the eggs. “No justice, Chrissy Cunningham, no justice.”
The blonde took the carton from him delicately.
And then…
THWACK
“Holy shit,” Eddie breathed, eyes wide and blinking at the egg currently dripping from Brian Hughes’s front door.
“Did you just bring the one carton?” Chrissy quirked her head, playfully pushing out her lower lip as she plucked another egg out.
Eddie leaned in towards her, eyes deep and dark, his grin hungry, “Got two more in the van, Princess.”
She felt her cheeks warm, as if his body heat was seeping through her sweater, “Then what are you waiting for?”
The brunette gave her a wide conspiratory grin, his nose wrinkling like the gremlin at heart he was before he dashed back to his van. Chrissy bit her bottom lip, heart thrumming in her fingertips as he picked up another egg and turned it over in her hand. Watching the metalhead dig in the passenger seat of his van, one combat boot swinging in the air behind him for balance.
His warmth and contagious confidence away from arms reach, Chrissy feels the nervousness creep into her shoulders.
What was she doing ?
Justice or not, egging someone’s house? Wasn’t that a crime?
Could she be arrested?
The blonde was in her last year of high school. The after had been starting to linger in the back of her mind. Her carefully crafted persona, her mother-approved attitude.
What was it going to get her after high school?
Why did any of it really matter? When it was all ending?
She’d been feeling an itch, an discomfort in her skin. The Queen of Hawkins High, Chrissy Cunningham. She was perfect and manicured…and…and borning.
But…oh god, was she going to get arrested for this?
‘-sy?”
“Chrissy?”
“Hm?” She blinked, suddenly inches away from the deep brown eyes of Eddie Munson.
“You can go home if you want,” He offered, holding a hand out cautiously for the carton she still held. “While your support is appreciated in this matter, you by no means are required to participate.” He gave her a soft smile. “Lawful neutral is fine, Honey,”
She…didn’t know what the last part meant. But the idea of leaving now, after deciding that Brian absolutely deserved something for the shit he pulled.
It was time to stick to something . To stand for something in her life. This small measure, only in view of kind brown eyes, was definitely somewhere she could plant her feet.
Chrissy grit her teeth and launched her second egg, landing with a hard smack against the living room window. “If I’m going to be a witness. I might as well do what's right.” She straightened.
Eddie’s mouth gaped a little, his tongue running quickly along his lower lip before he swallowed. Chrissy sucked in a breath, trying not to follow his tongue with her eyes. “Well damn Princess,” He breathed.
She grinned, feeling bold, and hurled another egg. The brunette leaned back and whooped softly to the night sky, grinning like a madman as he opened his batch and started throwing his own ammo.
Chrissy didn’t know how long it took them to launch all of the eggs he’d brought. She lost track as they began competing.
“No, no, Princess, you’re throwing from your shoulder,” Eddie corrected her softly, large hands landing gently on her biceps to direct her, “You’ve got more momentum to use than that, Babe-”
Babe . Her breath caught, heart stammering in her chest as he adjusted her arms to extend her throw. His curly hair brushing her neck and his dimples out of the corner of her eye.
This should not have felt so…comfortable.
THWACK.
“Nice one!” He squeezed her shoulder, then paused, giving her bicep another purposeful squeeze, “Damn Princess those pom poms are no joke.”
“Sorry,” Chrissy replied reflexively and leaned away. Her mother’s words came to the forefront of her mind. Take a break from your weekend workouts, Dear, your arms are getting too big to fit in your church blouse! It’s uncomely!
“Fuck off with that,” Eddie snarled, once again leaning down to meet her eyes level with her, “Don’t you dare apologize for having guns of steel, Amazonian!”
“Amazonian,” Chrissy breathed, a shy smile sneaking onto her face, “Like Wonder Woman?”
The brunette looked gobsmacked, “Like Won-…You know Wonder Woman?”
Feeling bold, she grinned, “I love Wonder Woman. I watched the show every chance I could get.”
“Right on, Princess,” Eddie beamed, “You’re a certified Nerd you know that?”
“Oh, don’t tell anyone?” She instinctively bristled, anxiety flared, “My mom doesn’t let me watch it.”
THWACK
“Fuck your mom,” He declared firecely, then pursed his lips and rolled his shoulders, “I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to.” He assured, brown eyes sincere.
Chrissy looked down and picked up another egg. The bout of rebellion she’d joined, standing up for a kid that still had three and a half years of hell ahead of him. It felt good . She didn’t know how she’d feel in the morning, if she’d walk into school tomorrow and regret what she’d done. But it felt like a step in the right direction for who she was trying to find, the question she’d been asking herself.
Who was she going to be after she graduated?
Maybe it was time to find her, that Chrissy. Or maybe she was right here, with Eddie Munson, throwing eggs at a bully’s house in the middle of the night.
“I don’t…really know who I am anymore,” She admitted quietly, “I don’t know who I’ll be tomorrow, or the day after. I’ve had my life planned for me, scheduled for me.” She swallowed, gritting her teeth and launching another egg at the house. “But I’m choosing this at least. Right now .”
“Well then, Princess,” Eddie smirked, “If tomorrow, or the day after, or any day after that you decide you want to join the dark side…” He stretched his arms out, bowing slightly, “You know where to find me.”
Chrissy nodded, smiling softly as she felt her cheeks warm despite the chill.
They took turns throwing, Eddie coached the blonde on her aim and mocked her with an umpire voice as she started pulling a leg up like the women pitchers she’d seen pictures of in the newspaper. She had to smother a laugh when Eddie dramatically reeled back when she chided him on making sure he hit the side of the house and not Mrs. Hughes bushes Eddie we talked about this.
Cartons emptied and adrenaline still lingering, Chrissy giggled as Eddie ushered her back to her car, large hands pressed to the small of her back.
One arm leaning on the roof of her car, Eddie smirked at her, “Best get out of here before some nosy neighbor sees you.”
“I’d just tell them you hypnotized me,” Chrissy blinked innocently.
“Oh I can do that now?” He raised an eyebrow and she nodded solemnly, “Careful now, last week I heard I could breathe fire.” He bared his teeth as he leaned in.
The blonde licked her lips, blue eyes flashed down to his mouth. Her heart stammered as his eyes followed hers, felt like he could see right through her. She swallowed, “I- I should get home.”
Eddie nodded quickly, running a hand through his hair and stepping back, his swallow audible. She closed her eyes briefly, the tether of the moment gone, both relieving and terrifying her all at once.
“Drive safe,” He started, halfway turned and glancing back at her with dark eyes, “And remember what I said,” He swung an arm wide, facing her as he backed up toward his van, “Any day, any time, Amazonian.”
Chrissy nodded, biting her lip with a smile.
—-----------------------
The next day at school everyone was talking about Brian Hughes and that someone had egged his house. No one knew who it was, albeit the rumors were vast.
“I’m sure the cops are looking into it,” Jason spoke up to the group they were in mid-classes. A collection of some of the basketball team and a few cheerleaders loitering at Jason’s locker.
“Yeah but if no one saw anything you know they’ll never know who did it.” Chase argued.
Chrissy shifted her weight, the hand around her waist felt more like a leash than a comfort. How long had it felt like that?
Had it always been that way?
“Just keep your ears open, if we hear who did it, we’ll make them pay.” Jason assured, shoulders firm. She tried to ignore the lump of coal stuck in her chest, smoldering with anxiety that they might ever figure out she was there.
Just then, curly brown hair caught her view in the corner of her eye and the blonde turned to see Eddie strolling down the hallway. Her worries quenched, somehow she felt safer .
Chrissy bit her lip when Eddie’s attention found her as he was walking. He made no change in his gait, but his brown eyes locked with her, sought her out. She reached an arm up and adjusted the strap of her backpack, turning slightly away. His eyes followed the movement and he grinned.
The blonde bit her lip harder, holding back a smile, and returned to Jason’s conversation. Eddie’s eyes still boring into her backpack…right on the Wonder Woman pin she’d attached to the outside.
She may not know who she’ll be after high school, or who she’ll be tomorrow.
But Chrissy Cunningham was working on it.
And she had an idea of where she might start.